Murder suspects conspired to split life insurance

At the Luxembourg City court, the trial concerning a 2021 murder in Portugal continued on Friday with the testimony of the main defendant's mother.

The witness, identified as Mariana, underwent further questioning and was noted to have repeatedly contradicted herself. All names in this report have been changed.

Mariana's testimony painted a picture of an ordinary, multi-generational family vacation, focused on domestic routines, which stood in stark contrast to the serious charges at hand. She described a trip where the first day involved a cousin cooking soup, after which she turned on the boiler to take a shower.

Her account of the subsequent days detailed similarly mundane activities. On the second day, she described tidying the house and sharing a meal. On the third day, the family went to a market to buy fish for a barbecue, clothes for her granddaughter, and groceries for dinner. She also testified to working in the garden that day, noting they burned the branches at night to avoid police detection, as the practice is prohibited.

On the fourth evening, she stated she was on the terrace with Pedro, the eventual murder victim, while the main defendant, Ana, and her partner, Antonio, prepared shots in the kitchen. Mariana alleged that when Antonio distributed the glasses, she refused hers, after which Pedro drank it.

Mariana concluded her account by stating she then took a bath, her sleeping pill, and went to bed. She claimed she woke later to find Antonio missing and Ana's car gone, speculating to the court that Antonio may have fallen ill and that Ana had driven him to seek help.

However, by the next morning, Antonio had returned. Mariana testified that she asked where he and Ana had been, explaining to the court, "I trusted them." She claimed the idyllic facade of the holiday only shattered when she enquired about Pedro's whereabouts. In response, Antonio allegedly told her, "Shut up, because Pedro is already far away. If you open your mouth, you'll never see Cristina again."

This testimony, however, omitted crucial details that Mariana only revealed under direct questioning. She admitted she was present when poison for Colorado potato beetles was purchased and that she had witnessed Ana unsuccessfully attempt to mix rat poison into Pedro's drink the day before. Despite these events, Mariana asserted she had no suspicion that Ana intended to poison Pedro with the beetle poison, claiming Ana had told her it was for Pedro's sister. She also stated she did not take seriously Ana's previous threats in Luxembourg to kill Pedro.

This account contrasts sharply with her earlier statements to authorities. During initial interrogations by police and the examininig magistrate, Mariana had stated she drove with Ana to the Mondego River, where Pedro was pushed into the water. She explained this prior self-incrimination by claiming Antonio had pressured and threatened her.

Further contradictions emerged from police wiretaps. In the months before the arrest, intercepted phone conversations revealed the two women discussing how to split the proceeds from Pedro's life insurance. "Half for me, half for you," Ana reportedly said. Ana then complained that money was getting tight, to which Mariana replied, "When you did what you did, that was bound to happen, I warned you." This statement indicates that Mariana was, in fact, aware of the events, despite her current claims of having no suspicions.

The trial is scheduled to continue next week, with the two male defendants yet to be heard.

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